Method for preparing carded slivers for spinning

ABSTRACT

A SILVER CARDED IN ONE LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION AND HAVING TRAILING FIBER HOOKS IS FED INTO THE LOWER ENDS OF CANS, AND THEN SUPPLIED THROUGH THE UPPER END OF THE CANS TO A DRAWING FRAME, DOUBLED, AND DRAWN OUT IN THE SAME LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION IN AN ODD NUMBER OF RUNS FOR STRAIGHTENING TRAILING FIBER HOOKS BEFORE SPINNING THE SILVER.

June 8, 1971 P. KRAUss ETAL 3,583,037

METHOD FOR PREPARING CARDED SLIVERS FOR SPINNING Filed Sept. 25, 196B 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 w 6 9 im Q f i' bg /flyen/af.' Paul. Mauss kurlr KRuScHAuM June 8, 1971 P. KRAuss ET AL 3583,@37

METHOD FOR PREPARING CARDED SL'IVERS FOR SPINNING 4 Sheets-Sheet Filed Sept. 25, 1968 mam/mfr:

Paul, lmaasg /Lurzr /z/Ec/f/SMH 4Hor715 METHOD FOR PREPARING CARDED sLIVERs FOR SPINNING Filed Sept. 25, 1969 June 8, 197 P KRAUSS ETAL 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 /nw/lor PAW. @www June 8, 1971 P. KRAUSS ETAI- METHOD FOR PREPARING CARDED SLIVERS FOR SPINNING Filed Sept. 25. 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

inw/liar PAM )1f/4am Mumhelfen/Man United States Patent i 3,583,037 Patented June 8, 1971 hcc U.S. Cl. 19--150 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A sliver carded in one longitudinal direction and having trailing fiber hooks is fed into the lower ends of cans, and then supplied through the upper end of the cans to a drawing frame, doubled, and drawn out in the same longitudinal direction in an odd number of runs for straightening trailing fiber hooks before spinning the sliver.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE It is known to prepare carded slivers for spinning by feeding each sliver into a can, transporting the cans to a drawing frame, and doubling and drawing out the slivers taken from the cans.

In order to obtain spun yarns, particularly cotton yarns, of a useful quality, it is necessary to subject the slivers after carding by a carding machine, to a plurality of successive runs for the elimination of irregularities of the carded slivers, at least one run is being accomplished by doubling, and for placing the fibers of the sliver in parallel positions. The term run is used in the present application to describe the passage of a sliver, slubbing, or roving through a drawing frame, flyer, or a fine spinning machine, such as a ring spinning machine. In accordance with the state of the art, yarns of satisfactory quality can only be obtained if the roving enters the last run, namely through the ring spinning machine, in the same longitudinal direction of movement in which it was carded. The carding produces a sliver in which the bers are not straight, but have hook portions trailing in the direction of carding. Such trailing hook portions are completely straightened when the last spinning run takes place in the same direction of the sliver or roving in which it was carded.

In the known arrangements for preparing the roving for spinning, the carded slivers are fed from the top into cans which are transported in upright position to the first drawing frame. When the slivers are taken from the tops of the cans, they pass through the first drawing frame in a longitudinal direcvtion in which the fiber hooks are leading since the last portion of the sliver fed into a can is located on top of the can. Since the roving must make the last spinning run in the same direction in which it was carded so that the fiber hooks trail and can be straightened, it is necessary to provide an even number of runs, for example, four runs which is usually obtained by two drawing frames, a preliminary spinning device including a flyer, and a ring spinning machine.

If an attempt is made to reduce the number of runs of the sliver, two runs would have to be omitted, such as the runs through the two drawing frames, or one run through a drawing frame and a run through the preliminary spinning device. However, it has not been possible to obtain yarns of a satisfactory quality by two runs of the carded sliver. On the other hand, at the present state of the art, it would be possible to obtain a satisfactory yarn by only three runs, omitting one run through a drawing frame, or the run through the preliminary spin.-

ning device, provided the sliver would contain no fiber hooks. Due to the fact that, when only three runs are provided, the liber hooks do not trail, but lead in the direction of movement of the sliver in the last run, the quality of the spun yarn is detrimentally affected to an unacceptable degree.

As noted above, the required even number of runs is caused by the fact that in accordance with the prior art the slivers are fed into the cans in the same direction in which they were carded, and are then supplied to the first drawing frame in the opposite direction.

It has been proposed to supply the carded slivers directly to a drawing frame, without depositing the carded slivers in cans, which have to be transported to the drawing frame. In such an arrangement, theoretically three runs would be suicient since the direction of the sliver in the final run through the ring spinning machine would be the same as the direction of movement during carding.

However, it has been found that this arrangement results in yarn of poor quality. If the carding machines have a common feed for flakes, fluctuations in the feeding of the flakes simultaneously affect the thickness of all carded slivers so that doubling of the carded slivers cannot produce a sliver or roving of uniform thickness, since all carded slivers supplied to the drawing frame have at the same time thick portions and thin portions, respectively. Consequently, the intended equalization of thicker and thinner slivers cannot be accomplished by doubling.

Furthermore, the output of a rnodern carding machine is different from the output of a doubling and drawing frame, if the required number of doublings is considered. In apparatus in which the carded slivers are directly supplied to the doubling and drawing frame, the carding machines can produce carded slivers much faster than can be doubled and drawn out by the drawing frame to which the carded silver is directly supplied. Due to this fact, cans for temporary depositing and storing the carded slivers, and four runs of the sliver withdrawn from the cans are required in accordance with the present state of the art for producing a yarn of good quality.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is one object of the invention to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art, and to provide simple and less expensive apparatus for producing first-class yarn.

Another object of the invention is to fully use the production capacity of the carding machines, using an inexpensive apparatus for drawing out and twisting the carded sliver while completely straightening fiber hooks produced by the carding operation.

Another object of the invention is to obtain yarn of good quality by subjecting a carded sliver to only three runs.

Another object of the invention is to supply carded slivers to the first drawing frame in a direction of movement which is the same as the direction of movement in the carding machine.

With these objects in view, the present invention relates to a method of preparing carded slivers for spinning, and to apparatus for carrying out the method of the invention.

A preferred method of invention comprises the steps of feeding carded slivers in one longitudinal direction in which they were carded through rst ends of cans into the same until the cans are filled and the leading ends of the carded slivers are located at the other ends of the cans, transporting the filled cans to a drawing frame supplying the leading ends of the carded slivers from the other ends of the cans in the same direction to said drawing frame, and doubling and drawing the carded slivers on the drawing frame in the same direction in which they were carded.

When the method of the invention is used, only three runs are necessary, and the run through the drawing frame may be followed by a run through a preliminary spinning device including flyer, and a ring spinning device. However, other devices may be provided for obtaining the odd number of runs. Due to the use of cans in the method of the invention, the number of carding machines can be selected for maximum production, without consideration of the output of the drawing frame.

In one method of the invention, the carded slivers are fed from above into the open tops of the cans so that the leading ends of the slivers are located at the lower ends of the cans. Each can is inverted before the carded slivers are supplied from the cans to the drawing frame, so that the leading ends of the slivers are located on top .of the cans, and the slivers are supplied to the drawing frame in the same longitudinal direction in which they were carded.

The inversion of the cans can be manually accomplished, but it is preferred to use apparatus by which each can is lifted from a supporting surface, turned 180, and then again lowered to the supporting surface. The lower end of the can may be provided with a cover which is automatically removed when the can is inverted, while another cover is placed on the bottom end of the inverted can.

In preferred method of the invention, the slivers are fed from below into the lower ends of the cans so that the leading ends of the slivers are located on top of the cans when the same are filled. The cans are transported to the drawing frame, and the leading ends of the slivers are supplied from the top ends of the cans to the drawing frame in the same longitudinal direction in which they were carded. It is advantageous to provide a supporting or transporting surface along which cans can slide r roll from the feeding station Where they receive the carded sliver to the drawing frame where the carded slivers of several cans are doubled and drawn out. It is an advantage of this arrangement that inverting of the cans is not required during transport to the drawing frame. Tubular cylindrical cans having open ends are preferably used so that the carded sliver can be fed by feeding means into the lower end, and withdrawn from the upper end of each can.

The feeding means preferably includes a coiler which forms, in some cases cooperating with a rotating can, cycloid loops in the can permitting the storing of a substantial length of the sliver in each can before the leading vends of the slivers are supplied to the drawing frame.

When the slivers are fed from above into the open top ends of the cans, it is advantageous to close the lower end of each can by a cover which is removed when the can is inverted so that the sliver can be supplied to the drawing frame. At the same time, the respective lower end of the inverted can is closed by another cover. The cover at the lower end has the advantage that the can can slide easily along a surface between the feeding station and the drawing frame. Covers may be connected with the can by a bayonet closure or by threads.

Apparatus is advantageously provided for inverting each can while changing the covers on the same. By this apparatus, the required operations are carried out in the following sequence:

(a) gripping a tubular can resting on the supporting surface and being `filled with a carded sliver,

(b) attaching a first cover to the upper open end of the can,

(c) lifting the can off the supporting surface,

(d) turning the can an angle of 180 about an axis perpendicular to the axis of the tubular can,

(e) placing the can on the supporting surface,

(f) removing the second cover from the now upper end of the inverted can, and

(g) releasing the can so that the same can be transported tO the drawing frame.

The can may slide along a surface between the feeding means and the drawing frame, or the bottom end of the cans may be provided with spring loaded rollers or wheels. Cans with open ends may rest on an annular supporting surface of a carriage, and be transported by the carriage to a transporting surface along which the can can slide in upright position to the drawing frame. The transporting surface may be downwardly slanted toward the drawing frame, and preferably consists of metal having a smooth surface.

An apparatus according to the invention comprises a plurality of cans having first lower and second upper ends, supporting means for supporting the cans, feeding means for feeding carded slivers in the longitudinal direction thereof in which they were carded through the first lower ends into the cans until the cans are filled and the leading ends of the carded slivers are located at the second ends of the cans. The drawing frame receives the leading ends of the carded slivers through the second ends of the cans for doubling and drawing the carded slivers in the same direction in which they were carded. The drawing frame is preferably followed by a preliminary spinning device including a liyer, and by a ring spinning machine so that the sliver or roving passes through the ring spinning machine in the same direction in Iwhich it was carded, resulting in the straightening of trailing fiber hooks.

If the feeding means are located above the cans, inverting means including gripping arms must be provided for inverting the cans before the slivers are withdrawn from the same. However, if the feeding means are disposed below the cans and feed the slivers into the lower ends of the same, the leading ends of the slivers are located on top of the respective cans and can be directly supplied to the drawing frame without inverting the cans, which is a considerable advantage.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments 'when read in connection with the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 'inverting apparatus of FIG. l

FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view of the inverting apparatus shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional View illustrating a cover for closing the bottom end of a can;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary schematic side elevation illustrating an arrangement according to another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary schematic side elevation illustrating a modified part of the embodiment of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary front elevation illustrating another modification of a part of embodiment of FIG. 5;

lIG. 8 is an elevation illustrating a modified can; an

FIG. 9 is a plan view of the modified can of FIG. 8.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the drawing, FIG. l shows four carding machine 1, 2, 3, 4, inverting means 5 for cans 9, a drawing frame `6, a `flier `6 and a ring spinning machine `6". Supporting surfaces for cans 9 adjacent carding machines '1 to 4, are continued as transporting surfaces 7 which are combined in a transporting surface 8 so that the can can be moved on supporting means along the surfaces 7 and 8 past the inverting means S and onto a widened portion of transporting surface 8 where two rows of cans 9a and 9b are placed adjacent the drawing frame 6. Cans 9 are tubular, as best seen in FIG. 2, and rest in upright position on transporting surface 8. Transporting surfaces 7 and 8 are in the embodiment of FIG. l horizontal, and may be provided directly on the floor of the hall in which the apparatus is located. The edges of transporting surfaces 7 and 8 may be provided with upright rims so that cans 9 cannot laterally slide off the transporting surface.

The movement of cans 9 from the carding machines 1 to 4 to the drawing frame 6 may be accomplished by manually sliding and pushing the cans along surfaces 7 and 8, but it is evident that conveyor chain with coupling members projecting from central slots of the transporting surface may be |used for moving the cans 9 first to the inverting means 5 and then to the drawing frame 6 after inversion. The doubled and drawn out silver is supplied from drawing frame 6 to a preliminary spinning device 6', and from the same to a ring spinning device 6" so that its treatment is completed in three runs.

Carding machine 1 to 4 has a feeding means including a coiler 1 known to those skilled in the art located above a can in the position 9 for feeding a carded sliver in cycloid coils from above into the open upper end of a can in the position 9 in which it is held by forked element 11 of the respective carding machine ywhich is horizontally reciprocable in directions indicated by the arrow B. When the can is filled, the forked element 11 is shifted and the filled can placed in the position 9". The forked element 11 is then pivoted about a horizontal axis away from the filled can and is moved into the region of an empty can 9" where the forked element is lowered again and then moved to place can 9" in the position 9 where it is lled. The horizontal reciprocation, and the angular displacement of forked element 11 about the horizontal axis is accomplished by conventional apparatus which is not illustrated. While a can is being filled with the carded sliver in the position 9', another empty can is placed in the position 9, and the filled can is moved from the position 9' along the transporting surface 8 to the inverting means 5 by which it is inverted. Inverting means 5 operates fast enough to permit the supply of cans to the same from four carding machines 1 to 4. After a can has been inverted, the end of the can where the leading end of the roving therein is located, is disposed on top, and the leading ends of eight slivers can be simultaneously taken from eight cans 9a and supplied to a drawing frame `6 where the slivers are doubled and drawn out in the same longitudinal direction in which they are carded and fed into the cans 9. While the slivers are -withdrawn from cans 9a, other cans 9b are placed in the proximity of the drawing frame 6 in inverted condition so that when cans 9a are empty, cans 9b can be pushed into the position of cans 9a for supplying slivers to the drawing frame 6 while other cans are accumulated in the position 9b. The apparatus functions as follows: Carded slivers are fed from the carding machines 1 to 4 into the open top ends of cans 9 in the position 9. The feeding means are conventional and include a coiler 1 located above the respective can. When a can is filled, it is pushed to slide to the position 9' from where the cans are pushed along the transporting surface 8 to the inverting means 5. Inverting means 5 turns each can about a horizontal axis perpendicular to the axis of the tubular can 9 about an angle of 180. Consequently, the can is inverted, and the leading end of the respective sliver in the inverted can, is no longer located at the bottom end of the can, but is located on top of the can. In this inverted position, the can is pushed or pulled to slide along transporting surface 8 into the position in which cans 9a are shown, after the emptied cans 9a have been removed. rThe leading ends of the slivers are taken from the open ends of the eight cans in the position 9a and inserted into the drawing frame 6 so that the doubled sliver is drawn out in the same longitudinal direction in which it was supplied by the respective carding machine. The drawn and doubled sliver of the drawing frame is filled into cans, not shown, which are transported to the flier frame 6' and the drawn and doubled ier sliver is wound on ier spools which are transported to the ring spinning machine 6 for producing the yarns.

vIf tubular cans with open ends would be inverted by inverting means 5, the windings of the sliver therein would fall out. Covers for the ends are provided by which before eginning of the inversion of the can, the openings of the tubular can can `be covered and closed.

It is possible to provide two circular plates which are pressed against the open ends of the tubular can by the inverting means during the inverting of the can. When the can is inverted, the covers can be withdrawn, or the tubular can can be laterally pushed out from the two covers after the same have been loosened.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, each of the openings at the ends of each tubular can, is closed by detachable cover. The lower end of the tubular can may be continuously closed by a cover, which has the advantage that the bottom of the can is tightly closed, and that the carded sliver in the can is protected while the cover slides on the transporting surface 8. At the inverting station, the upper end of the filled can is closed by another cover, whereupon the can is inverted. The previously upper cover is now at the lower end of the tubular can, and remains in this position until the can is again inverted so that the respective cover can be removed from the top of the can.

An inverting machine 5 is shown in FIG. 2, and has a box-shaped housing 16 supporting an inverting means 18 and cover operating means 14 by which a cover can be screwed onto the open top end of the can 9. A control apparatus 15 controls the sequence of the operations of the inverting means 18 and cover operating means 14 in a manner which is not an object of the invention.

The inverting means 18 includes a carriage 21 reciprocated in a vertical guide means 19 by hydraulic piston end cylinder motor 20. Carriage 21 supports a horizontal shaft 22 for rotation and also a controllable motor 22 by which shaft 22 is turned 180. A transverse carrier 23 is fixedly secured to shaft 22 and supports two gripper arms 25 and 26 for turning movement about vertical pivot axes so that the gripper arms 25 and 26 can be moved between the gripping position shown in solid lines and the releasing position shown in chain lines in FIG. 3 by actuation of a servo piston motor 24. Gripper arms 25 and 26 are also turnable about a horizontal axis to a vertical position located spaced from can 9 so that the same can be transported on the transporting surface 8 after having been filled.

The cover operating means 14 has a guide bed 27 secured to the front wall of housing 16 in which a carriage 28 is guided for vertical movement. Carriage 28 is operated by hydraulic piston cylinder means 28 to move up and down and has an arm-shaped holder 29 supporting a motor 30 for rotating a shaft 31 on which a potshaped gripper 32 is fixed. Gripper 32 has a flange within which a pneumatic flexible tube 34 is mounted which, when filled with compressed air, grips a cover 33 which has an inner thread cooperating with an outer thread on the end of a can 9. The annular flexible tube 34 can be blown up through `valves, not shown, connected with a source of compressed air, not shown, when handling of cover 33 is desired.

The inverting means shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 operates as follows:

A filled can 9 is pushed into the position shown in FIG. 2 in which the cover 33 screwed to its lower end abuts a pair of stationary stops 35 and rests on the surface 35. 'While the can 9 slides into this position, the gripper arms 25 and 26 are in the spread open position as shown in chain lines in FIG. 3. The hydraulic piston and cylinder motor 24 is operated to close the gripper arms which tightly grip the can, while the flexible pneumatic tube 34 is filled with compressed air and holds the upper cover 33 in the position illustrated in FIG. 2. Gripper 32 is now moved downward with carriage 28, while being rotated by shaft 31 and motor 30 so that the cover 33 is screwed onto the threads at the upper end of can 9. When the cover 33 is tightly screwed on, the pressure in the pneumatic tube 34 is relieved so that the gripper 32 can be `moved by motor 28 to a higher inoperative position. Carrier 23 with gripper arms 25, 26 and the filled can 9 are now moved upward until the bottom surface of the lower cover 33 is located above the stops 35, permitting turning of can 9 by gripper arms 25, 26 about the axis f shaft 22 an angle of 180 so that cover 33 is located at the bottom end of the inverted can 9, and cover 33 at the top end of the same. The Carrier 23 is downward moved until cover 33 rests on the supporting surface 35.

Gripper 32 is lowered until surrounding the cover 33, whereupon the pneumatic tube 34 is blown up by cornpressed air and holds cover 33. Motor 30 is operated to rotate gripper 32 so that cover 33 is unscrewed from can 9 while gripper 32 is moved upward by motor 28. When gripper 32 is high enough to permit horizontal movement of can 9, gripper arms 25, 26 are opened so that can 9 can be pushed out to the right as viewed in the drawing, or gripper arms 25, 26 may be turned about a horizontal axis to an inoperative position in which the adjacent empty can 9, see FIG. 1, can be pushed to a position under the feeding means of the respective carding machine. A control means 15, schematically indicated by broken lines, is provided for controlling the sequence of the operations of the hydraulic and electric motors by which the abovedescribed operations for inverting the can and for attaching and detaching covers are automatically effected.

Since sliding of the bottom ends of the cans 9 on the transporting surfaces 7 and 8 produces considerable friction, the modified construction of the cover 37 shown in FIG. 4 is provided with at least three angularly spaced legs carrying rollers 39. The bottom 36 of the can is recessed so that rollers or wheels 39 only slightly project from the lower end of can 37, and the legs are constructed to turn about vertical axes so that wheels 39 are always oriented in the direction of movement of the can.

In the preferred arrangement of the invention, the cans are filled by feeding means of carding machines arranged below the cans so that the leading ends of the carded slivers are located at the top ends of the cans when the same are filled. FIG. illustrates such as arrangement in which a carding machine 40 is schematically illustrated by dash and dot lines. A ramp-shaped supporting means 41 has a tubular portion 42 in which a coiler 43 is located for feeding a carded sliver in cycloid coils from below into the lower end of a tubular can 44 and forms part of feeding means by which the carded sliver is supplied into the lower open end of the tubular can 44 which nonturnably rests on an annular supporting surface surrounding the coiler 43. The construction of the coiler 43 can be the same as the construction of the coiler 1', FIG. l, and is well known to those skilled in the art. The supplied carded sliver is fed therefore from below `into the lower open end of the tubular can to form a coil in the same while the leading end of the sliver moves upward and finally arrives at the open top end of the can 44.

In order to obtain a good filling of the tubular can 44 with the carded sliver, and further to prevent a rotation of the sliver in the can 44, a loading disk 46 rests on top of the coil formed in can 44 by the fed sliver. A spring 47 abuts the loading disk 46 and a cylindrical boss 51 of a holder 50 provided with spring loaded pivoted holding hooks 53 by which loading disk 46 can be held above the top end of can 44 against the action of the compressed spring 47 when the filled can is to be removed, and the empty can 44' to be placed above the coiler 43.

The loading disk is cup-shaped and has a somewhat smaller diameter than the inner diameter of the tubular and cylindrical can 44.

Feeding means for feeding the sliver through the opening 54 are located behind the ramp structure 41, and not shown in FIG. 5. The feeding means is of a conventional construction and includes condensor means for condensing the sliver, and a pair of transporting rollers by which the s liver is fed at a constant feeding speed through opening 54 to the coiler 43.

The. embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5 operates as follows:

At the beginning of the feeding operation, an empty tubular can is placed on the stationary supporting surface surrounding coiler 43, while loading disk 46 is attached by holding hooks 53 to holder 50. Before the feeding of the sliver is started, the loading disk is released and drops into and through can 44 until resting on the coiler 43. The sliver is fed into the lower end of the can 44 and is laid in loops so that the leading end of the sliver gradually rises in can 44 and the sliver fills the same so that the leading end of the sliver is located at the open top end of can 44. Loading disk 46 is again attached to the holding means 50 by holding hooks 53, so that the can 44 can be pushed from the annular supporting surface surrounding the coiler 43, onto the horizontal transporting surface 57 which is located at the same level. From there, the filled can 44 can be pushed downward along the downwardly slanted transporting surface 58 of the ramp structure 41 toward the drawing frame 6, described with reference to FIG. l. The leading end of the carded sliver is taken from the upper end of the can and inserted, t0- gether with other slivers in other cans, into the drawing frame where it is doubled and drawn out.

Under some conditions, it is preferable to transport the cans on carriages, instead of sliding the cans along transporting surfaces. FIG. 6 shows a supporting means 59 with a horizontal support surface 57. A carriage 60 has a supporting flange with a horizontal annular support surface I62 at the level of support surface 57'. When the can 63 is `filled with a carded sliver supplied from carding machine 40', operators grip handles 64 and slide the can on the support surface 57' to the support surface 62 of the carriage 60 which is rolled with the can 63 to the drawing frame along transporting surfaces 7, 8. During the feeding of the sliver, coupling means 65 anchor carriage '60 on the supporting structure 59. The coupling means includes an eye 66 and a hook 67 mounted for turning movement about an axis on the carriage and having a projecting arm 69 connected with a foot pedal 71 on which the operator steps for disengaging coupling 65 so that the carriage can be rolled away after removal of the can for loading with an empty can.

In the modified construction shown in FIG. 7, the carriage l60 has a pair of guide means 71 and 72 which form horizontal guide ways for a flange 70` at the lower end of can 63. Guiding means 71, 72 are straight horizontal rails extending the entire length of the carriage, so that when operators slide can 63 from the supporting surface on the carriage onto the transporting surface 57', the high and filled can cannot topple over.

Another modified construction on the can is shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. A can 63" has three legs 76 which are hollow tubes closed at the upper ends and containing springs 74 abutting slide pistons 75 on which rollers '73 are mounted for rotation. The resilience of springs 74 is selected so that to 90% of the weight of the can and all parts secured thereto, and also of the carded sliver therein, are taken up by the springs when the bottom surface of can 63 engages the horizontal surface on which the can is placed. As a result, the sliding friction during sliding of the can along transporting surfaces is reduced, and the greater part of the weight is carried by rollers 73. Due to the fact that the entire bottom of the can nevertheless slides on the supporting surface, tilting and toppling over of the can during transport is prevented.

A ramp structure for sliding cans similar to the construction of FIG. 6 may also be provided adjacent the drawing frame '6.

The means for feeding of the sliver in the can may be of a known manner and of a known construction, c g. the coiler is feeding the sliver in cycloid turns into the can while the can is in rest, in other cases the can is turned, too, during the feeding of the sliver into the interior.

Such feeding means are described e.g. by Walz Die moderne Baumwollspinnerei, Verlag Handwerk und Technik, Berlin/Hamburg, pages 144-153.

The coiler and the other means for feeding the sliver into the can are the same for lling from above as from below.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also nd a useful application in other types of arrangements for preparing a carded sliver for spinning, diiering from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in which a carded sliver is supplied to, and drawn out by a drawing frame in the same direction in which it was carded so that treatment of the sliver can be completed in three runs, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected I by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims:

1. The method of preparing carded slivers for spinning, comprising the steps of carding slivers in a longitudinal carding direction; feeding the carded slivers in said longitudinal carding direction through the lower ends of tubes which have open lower and upper ends while said lower ends are resting on a surface until the tubes are filled and the leading ends of said carded slivers are loctaed at the upper ends of said tubes and the trailing ends of said carded slivers are located at the lower ends of said tubes; transporting said tubes to a drawing frame by moving said open lower ends of said lled tubes together with said trailing ends of said carded slivers within said tubes along a surface to a drawing frame; removing said slivers in said longitudinal carding direction from said upper ends of said tubes; supplying the leading ends of said carded slivers from said upper ends of said tubes in said one carding direction to said drawing frame; and doubling and drawing said carded slivers on said drawing frame in said one carding direction whereby during carding, feeding, removing, supplying, doubling and drawing said carded slivers move in the same longitudinal carding direction.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said tubes are transported by sliding said open end of each filled tube along said surface.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 509,568 1l/l893 Cook et al. 19-159X 990,678 4/ 1911 Stratton 19-159X 3,302,955 2/1967 Witzgall 19-159X 3,443,287 5/1969 Hertzsch 19--159 3,345,702 10/1967 Miedler et al. 19-159 3,320,642 5/1967 Fronza et al. 19-159 3,375,556 4/1968 Bryan, Jr 19-157 OTHER REFERENCES Japanese patent publication No. 40/25177, published 11-2-65.

Page 191 of May 1966 Textile World (NVP Sliver Can With Handles).

DORSEY NEWTON, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. l9--157, 159 

